Summary translation

The objectives and assignment of tasks of the research platform comply with the objectives of the German Federal Organic Farming Scheme of the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection: The research platform complies with the objectives of ‘considerably improving the framework conditions for organic farming and other forms of sustainable agriculture and with reaching a balanced growth of supply and demand’. Also the criterion of ‘covering all chains of the value chain – from production to producer’ has been met. The central objectives in the areas of research management and knowledge transfer within the Federal Organic Farming Scheme have been fulfilled. The research platform has contributed both to the promotion of research and to the transfer of knowledge. The research platform ‘Organics’ can be considered a success. It has succeeded in building up the research platform with an extensive network of European umbrella organisations, researchers, national platforms, companies and representatives of civil society. Based on the research vision, the Strategic Research Agenda and the Implementation Action Plan can be worked out and published. The platform has also succeeded in making a name for itself among relevant representatives of the EU-administration and political decision takers. The research platform has built up a communication structure to promote its activities and results, especially the very popular website and newsletters. Representatives of the platform have presented the structure and results of TP ‘Organics’ in 34 events all over Europe and in the future TP ‘Organics’ will act as a partner in congresses and conferences. The platform succeeded in ensuring that the directorate general for research of the European Commission considered five of its research proposals. In September 2010, 13 proposals for further subjects have been presented to the directorate general – it is to be expected that some of them will be taken up in the research calls for the working programmes 2012 and 2013. TP ‘Organics’ offers an effective platform to share information and thereby contributing to the development of future EU research projects. In the process of defining the research priorities, agricultural advisors, farmers and representatives of organic SMEs, had the opportunity to play a significant role while communicating their needs. The transfer of knowledge and the participation of economic stakeholders in research have developed to become important focal points. Determining research needs has and continues to have a considerable influence on future calls for EU-research projects, while, cooperating within TP ‘Organics’ has strengthened the exchange of work and information between all stakeholders of the value chain. Partnerships have been consolidated that will benefit further developments in the research landscape for organic farming. All researchers and other stakeholders involved in the platform also benefit from the opportunity of being able to discuss new methods of participatory research, exchanges of knowledge, networks and methods of decision making. Furthermore, TP ‘Organics’ has worked out concepts that will also benefit other forms of sustainable agriculture, e.g. low external input agriculture.